Amsterdam. The International Campaign for Tibet-Europe sent a message to Mr. Patrick Cox congratulating on his election as the President of the European Parliament.

In the January 21, 2002, message ICT-Europe Director Tsering Jampa said, “Over the years, the European Parliament has consistently demonstrated its support for Tibet by adopting significant resolutions including one last year calling for official recognition of the Tibetan Government in Exile if the Chinese government refuses to initiate dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representative within three years. In 1998, the Parliament urged the Council of the European Union for the appointment of a EU Special Representative for Tibet. While it has certainly expressed the strong support for Tibet, the European Parliament has yet to follow through on implementation of these key issues.

“In 1988, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has addressed the European Parliament when he presented his Five Point Peace Plan for the future of Tibet. Again in October 2001, at the invitation of the President of the European Parliament, Nicole Fontaine, for the first time the Dalai Lama has addressed the plenary session of the Parliament. Under His leadership, the Tibetans have always maintained their struggle non-violent and never resorted to violence-even when confronted by imprisonment and torture by Chinese authorities solely for their religious and political beliefs.

“We hope that you will be able to find a way to use your unique position as the President of the European Parliament to assist the Tibetan people – not only because our cause is inherently just, but also to demonstrate that the positive outcomes to international conflict can be achieved through non-violence. We believe that now, more than ever, the decision of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people to pursue an alternative peaceful path to freedom and justice should be endorsed and supported by world leaders.

We wish you well in your efforts to achieve peace at this difficult moment in history.”